Diego Maradona, the famous footballer, scored twice – including the ‘hand of God’ goal – to knock England out of the 1986 World Cup. The late Argentinian player described his opening goal as “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”. The referee did not have a clear view and allowed the goal to stand. Minutes later, Maradona dribbled past a host of England players to score again, a strike that was voted as the goal of the century. Argentina went on to win the World Cup. Now, in May 2022, the shirt Maradona wore when he scored those goals, sold for a record-breaking £7.1 million in an auction.

We become so focused on attaining a winning outcome, be it at school, home or work, that we compromise or totally sacrifice our ethics and principles. The processes and methods we utilize to achieve outcomes become corrupt. If we are competing, we resort to cheating so that we will be first, even at the expense of others. The goal negates the means. Yet, if we introspect, we will recognize how empty we feel and wonder why we are not fulfilled despite achieving our goals.

The Bhagavad Gita states, – “Karmanye vādhikāraste mā phaleshu kadāchana... – You have the right to action or work but never to its fruits. Let not the fruits of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction” (2.47). Our guru parampara epitomizes this statement in their words, character and actions. It is a mindset shift in how they approach the work they do. Through their life activities our gurus demonstrate, they do their absolute best and leave the outcome to be determined by Bhagwan Swaminarayan.

Shriji Maharaj in Vachanamrut Gadhada I 2 explains, “A person who has the highest level of vairagya engages in worldly activities… is not affected by those activities. He may indulge in the most alluring of the panchvishays… but he does so dejectedly and with total indifference towards them. Those vishays are unable to entice him; thus his renunciation remains undiminished.”

Abdul Kalam, in his book, Transcendence, describes to Pramukh Swami Maharaj, “Swamiji, when I first launched a rocket it failed, and I became very depressed and disheartened. At the time I thought of becoming a sannyasi and giving up every-thing.” Pramukh Swami Maharaj said, “The Bhagavad Gita defines renunciation in a unique way, ‘One must renounce not the performance of deeds, but renounce the desire for the fruits of those actions.’… Human effort and God’s grace move this world. Even failure of the first rocket, which you faced, was for your good; it prodded you to make things better.”

Pramukh Swami Maharaj offered a unique and powerful perspective on how to approach all the works we do. It was the same unique principle that drove our guru parampara in all the works they did – the principle of complete detachment to the fruits of actions. All they sought was rajipo of God and guru.

They were never driven by fame, fortune, power, position or prestige. In 1997, some youths suggested that Pramukh Swami be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. It would be a great honour and his name would reach all corners of the world. Then, everyone would know about what Swami Bapa had accomplished. However, before they could continue, Pramukh Swami Maharaj stopped them and said, “I have attained Bhagwan Swaminarayan and gurus Shastriji Maharaj and Yogiji Maharaj. For me they are Nobel Prizes.” He then told the sadhus and devotees that worldly awards do not last, and that it is best to worship God. Pramukh Swami Maharaj demonstrated that all he cared and lived for was the rajipo of his gurus. As much as Swami Bapa received and accepted accolades, he had no interest in gaining the key to the cities he was awarded, roads that were named after him or being praised in a grand assembly.

Shriji Maharaj is the all-doer. This means that everything, good and bad, that happens is due to Maharaj’s wish. Swami Bapa lived steadfastly by this principle and took absolute comfort in knowing that. An example was the court case regard-ing the Harrow land for the London mandir. Despite the amount of time and resources that Pramukh Swami Maharaj, and the devotees put into the case, BAPS lost the case. All those involved in the UK and in India were devastated at the verdict. Yet, Pramukh Swami Maharaj remained calm on hearing about the outcome. He believed according to Vachanamrut Gadhada I 78 that without God’s wish not even a blade of grass flutters. He also told the mandir trustees that whatever Shriji Maharaj had done was for our good and that something better would result from the failure.

Once in Junagadh, Dr Chhaya, asked Swamishri, “I cannot properly manage five staff members in my clinic, yet how do you manage such a large organization?”

“God is the all-doer,” Swamishri replied succinctly.

“That is true, but you are the instrument. How do you manage everything?” the doctor persisted.

“By believing God to be the all-doer everyone is inspired to make effort. Because God resides in everyone, therefore he is the inspirer. One should do one’s work by understanding the glory of everyone, by pleasing God and understanding him to be the all-doer. One should also pray to God for one’s intentions to be pure and to give everyone the strength to work.”

Pramukh Swami Maharaj paid no heed to the accolades he received. He had no inclination towards power, position or prestige. Once, an aspirant said to Swamishri, “If you become the prime minister [of India], then I will become the finance minister.” Swamishri instantly responded, “Everything is perishable. This world itself is perishable. The type of joy derived from God’s worship and chanting the mala cannot be found elsewhere.”

In 2003, Dr Mangal Patel, chairman of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, came for Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s darshan and blessings. On learning about the sheer expanse of services performed by Swamishri, he asked in amazement, “How do you manage to peacefully run more than 500 mandirs and the Satsang fellowship that has spread in India and abroad?”

Swamishri humbly replied, “I am not running anything. It is my guru and God who are running everything. I do not be-lieve that I am doing something. God is the doer of everything. However, when one believes that one is doing everything and when things don’t work out properly, one becomes depressed. One should make all the efforts, but the fruits of one’s actions depend upon God. And if one does not get success, one should firmly believe that it was for one’s own benefit.

“Our guruji taught us that if you fill a pot with water and place it on your head, you will feel its burden. But when you dive in water, despite the pressure of ‘tons’ of water on your head, you do not feel the weight. So, I am not doing anything. God and the guru are doing everything.

“There is no end to pain and misery due to ego and possessiveness. So, I constantly believe that God and the guru are the all-doers. That is how the entire Sanstha is run.”

Thus, Pramukh Swami Maharaj was without stress, frustration and irritation in all his endeavours. He taught us not to see ourselves as the doer, be it at school, at university, in our career or in family life. To cope in this day and age we must give our absolute effort, yet not focus on the fruits of our labours. Whatever spiritual efforts and services we perform should be solely to attain Bhagwan’s and the guru’s rajipo. As Pujya Mahant Swami Maharaj has said on numerous occa-sions, “Do your best and leave the rest,” or another way of interpreting the statement is: Do your best and let Swamishri take care of the rest.